944 Turbo S Engine Rebuild Thread
- Thread starter Eldavo
- Start date
I do love Pole Positions and they were on my shortlist when I got my current seats but the shoulder strap holes are too low on my torso for proper fitment of a harness. Given I drive mine “enthusiastically” and track it too rather than park it up in a field and polish it this was more important to me.
I have considered getting another set of seats and swapping them over but as Blade put, prices these days have gone wild!
I have considered getting another set of seats and swapping them over but as Blade put, prices these days have gone wild!
PSH
PCGB Member
Given I drive mine “enthusiastically” and track it too rather than park it up in a field and polish it this was more important to me.
Haha...you mean like probably 99% of all classic car owners...... That's ok, each to their own, my car has never been on a track and nor will it, I cherish my car to much but that doesn't mean that I don't drive it and drive it very fast. I bet I have drivem more miles in mine than you in yours. Covered large areas of the UK plus many miles in France, including 4 trips to Le Mans.
If they’re good enough for a Lamborghini Hurracan then they’re good enough for me - NGK U5015 Coil On Plug packs with a cm or so chopped off the end to make them a nice snug fit in the 16v head For full COP sequential ignition.
I have the full wiring loom too that Peep made me for adding them to VEMS, the ECU does need some hardware changes making to the circuit board itself though. I’m off to Le Mans next week and then on the dyno the week I get back so this will have to wait until the end of the month - will neaten things up no end.
I have the full wiring loom too that Peep made me for adding them to VEMS, the ECU does need some hardware changes making to the circuit board itself though. I’m off to Le Mans next week and then on the dyno the week I get back so this will have to wait until the end of the month - will neaten things up no end.
So, went to Le Mans (fixed two overheating 944s on the way back) and then spent the day on the dyno when I got back.
Arrived running 14psi boost and the ignition timing not optimised and making 314bhp, wound it up to 18psi and made 426bhp but taking it to 21psi only made 431bhp so we surmised the “Stage 1” intercooler was the issue - TTM did say it would be . . .
Had a meeting that evening so hot footed it home - however I hadn’t loaded the 18psi map back on and was still running the high boost dyno map - importantly this one had all the boost control and safeties turned off. I realised it was over boosting when it literally went off the scale on the way home so took it easy on the way home for the couple of hours it took to schlepp up the A1.
Got to my motorway junction a mile from home, dropped a cog and gave it a squirt . . .
Back end kicked out, I giggled and kept my foot in, massive bang followed by the metallic tinkling of half the engine falling out and the dash lit up like a Xmas tree, wasn’t smiling any more.
Fuelling for 23psi boost and air of 34psi boost leads to a very lean condition and detonation, which leads to a snapped rod, which leads to the flatbed of shame, which leads to me missing my blooming meeting after all.
I took a weekend away to think about what to do - almost bought a Cayman GT4 CS but ultimately picked up the spanners and set to work!
Arrived running 14psi boost and the ignition timing not optimised and making 314bhp, wound it up to 18psi and made 426bhp but taking it to 21psi only made 431bhp so we surmised the “Stage 1” intercooler was the issue - TTM did say it would be . . .
Had a meeting that evening so hot footed it home - however I hadn’t loaded the 18psi map back on and was still running the high boost dyno map - importantly this one had all the boost control and safeties turned off. I realised it was over boosting when it literally went off the scale on the way home so took it easy on the way home for the couple of hours it took to schlepp up the A1.
Got to my motorway junction a mile from home, dropped a cog and gave it a squirt . . .
Back end kicked out, I giggled and kept my foot in, massive bang followed by the metallic tinkling of half the engine falling out and the dash lit up like a Xmas tree, wasn’t smiling any more.
Fuelling for 23psi boost and air of 34psi boost leads to a very lean condition and detonation, which leads to a snapped rod, which leads to the flatbed of shame, which leads to me missing my blooming meeting after all.
I took a weekend away to think about what to do - almost bought a Cayman GT4 CS but ultimately picked up the spanners and set to work!
I was still uhhmming and ahhing about whether to rebuild it or part it out when I had it low loadered to my Indy’s to remove the knackered block and strip it so I could have the crank crack tested and checked over.
The amount of necks that snapped as people stared at the car in the rush hour traffic made me convinced that rebuilding it was the right thing to do though. Indys did a great job pulling the bare block out and I dropped the crank and head off at the engineers the day before I went on holiday.
Those of a nervous disposition look away now
The amount of necks that snapped as people stared at the car in the rush hour traffic made me convinced that rebuilding it was the right thing to do though. Indys did a great job pulling the bare block out and I dropped the crank and head off at the engineers the day before I went on holiday.
Those of a nervous disposition look away now
Fast forward 2 weeks in the sun and the head had been checked and rebuilt with a set of sodium filled 16v exhaust valves I had from one of Barry Hart’s abandoned projects, a new aluminium radiator had arrived and the crank was found to be in great condition!
So I jumped in the car and did a 500 mile round trip in a day to meet Simon for lunch and collect a replacement block, sump, Hartech 16v 3.0 turbo Wossner pistons (yes, yes, I know!) and some other bits and bobs. After Le Mans to Newcastle upon Tyne in a day and now this trip, I think I can convincingly say that long journeys aren’t really an issue in a Tesla.
View attachment 2336
After removing the last few bits I needed off the old block it was in quite a sorry state. My Indys asked if I wanted it back to make into a coffee table or something. With a withering look I told them I never wanted to see it again, remove the studs and weigh it in.
View attachment 2337
Anyway - by now I’d amassed a load more parts, new forged rods, ACL rod bearings, Glyco main bearings, Westwood cylinder liners and the list kept going. I was also in receipt of a hire car due to my wife’s spatial awareness - the false floor in it said it was good for 60kgs / time to see how strong it really was for a trip to AMAC engineering:
View attachment 2338
So I jumped in the car and did a 500 mile round trip in a day to meet Simon for lunch and collect a replacement block, sump, Hartech 16v 3.0 turbo Wossner pistons (yes, yes, I know!) and some other bits and bobs. After Le Mans to Newcastle upon Tyne in a day and now this trip, I think I can convincingly say that long journeys aren’t really an issue in a Tesla.
View attachment 2336
After removing the last few bits I needed off the old block it was in quite a sorry state. My Indys asked if I wanted it back to make into a coffee table or something. With a withering look I told them I never wanted to see it again, remove the studs and weigh it in.
View attachment 2337
Anyway - by now I’d amassed a load more parts, new forged rods, ACL rod bearings, Glyco main bearings, Westwood cylinder liners and the list kept going. I was also in receipt of a hire car due to my wife’s spatial awareness - the false floor in it said it was good for 60kgs / time to see how strong it really was for a trip to AMAC engineering:
View attachment 2338
scam75
Well-known member
Ouch springs to mind...................but, but, but, build it back better! And I know you will.
I never get tired if all and sundry snapping necks to look at my car, never fails to make me smile, I even end up snapping my neck looking back to see if they are still looking when I've passed them!
Also makes me glad that my foot did a good job of controlling boost when my MBC was knackered. One slip could have been fatal..............
Good luck with the build, you are in your element and will enjoy it!
Stuart
I never get tired if all and sundry snapping necks to look at my car, never fails to make me smile, I even end up snapping my neck looking back to see if they are still looking when I've passed them!
Also makes me glad that my foot did a good job of controlling boost when my MBC was knackered. One slip could have been fatal..............
Good luck with the build, you are in your element and will enjoy it!
Stuart
blade7
Well-known member
I remember when I bought my turbo there was often the Porsche envy coffee beans hand gestures, never got those in a Cosworth. A 944 turbo seems much more accepted now.
No idea what’s going on with the pics - I’ll sort it later when I’m in front of a computer.
Yeah Marty - I won’t lie I did have a little pity party the night it happened but hey ho. As a friend said “just pick up a spanner and start turning and you’ll be focussed on the goal” and he was right.
So whilst the engine and main bits are away I’ve changed/upgraded a few other things at the same time. I’ve got a KEP clutch pressure plate and a 930 clutch disc to go in as a friend (ironically with a 930 turbo) kept trying to pull away in 3rd (as that’s where 1st is in a 930) several times at 5k rpm and smoked the clutch.
Also had Nick from Nickson Motorsport get my exhaust manifolds and downpipe Cerakoted too. With the head off I dropped it at the fabricators and they removed my thread repair, welded it up and helicoiled the hole - you can’t even tell there was an issue in the first place! Also got them to add a bung to the sump so i could move the oil temperature sensor out of the sump plug (sump itself has a Lindsey Baffle fitted too),
After a flurry of activity the wait for the machine shop to finish up is frustratingly at odds with my “crack on” attitude - so much so that I tried to buy a 4.7 V8 Vantage with some juicy Bamford Rose upgrades but alas a deposit had been already taken on the car I was interested in (I love a Transaxle what can I say) - instead I treated myself to some carbon 997 GT3-style seats and have commenced a little side quest overhauling some 10-speaker door cards, just waiting for stuff to be delivered now.
Yeah Marty - I won’t lie I did have a little pity party the night it happened but hey ho. As a friend said “just pick up a spanner and start turning and you’ll be focussed on the goal” and he was right.
So whilst the engine and main bits are away I’ve changed/upgraded a few other things at the same time. I’ve got a KEP clutch pressure plate and a 930 clutch disc to go in as a friend (ironically with a 930 turbo) kept trying to pull away in 3rd (as that’s where 1st is in a 930) several times at 5k rpm and smoked the clutch.
Also had Nick from Nickson Motorsport get my exhaust manifolds and downpipe Cerakoted too. With the head off I dropped it at the fabricators and they removed my thread repair, welded it up and helicoiled the hole - you can’t even tell there was an issue in the first place! Also got them to add a bung to the sump so i could move the oil temperature sensor out of the sump plug (sump itself has a Lindsey Baffle fitted too),
After a flurry of activity the wait for the machine shop to finish up is frustratingly at odds with my “crack on” attitude - so much so that I tried to buy a 4.7 V8 Vantage with some juicy Bamford Rose upgrades but alas a deposit had been already taken on the car I was interested in (I love a Transaxle what can I say) - instead I treated myself to some carbon 997 GT3-style seats and have commenced a little side quest overhauling some 10-speaker door cards, just waiting for stuff to be delivered now.
Well, this is what happens when you build a turbo engine using chocolate pistons! j/k (too soon?)
I admire your enthusiasm David - and glad you made the correct decision in keeping the car and getting it to breathe again! Who want's a Cayman GT4 anyway....
They were Arias Pistons actually - I can‘t even blame the rods, all my fault but at least I learned (an expensive lesson) in what engine knock actually sounds like in real life!
blade7
Well-known member
Stick up some pictures of the seats, I fancy something similar in my car.
So true, I've had delivery drivers talking to me on the doorstep for 20 minutes about mine even though it is under a cover at the moment. They all recognise that shape with the flared arches.
blade7
Well-known member
I still love looking at the rear arches in the door mirrors, and over the front arches while driving the car.
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